1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to sewing machines and more particularly to a sewing machine with a cloth holding frame holding a work cloth and guided so as to be moved in a predetermined direction.
2. Description of the Related Art
There have conventionally been provided sewing machines in which a cloth holding frame holding a work cloth is moved back and forth or right and left, or turned about a rotational axis so that the work cloth is moved to a predetermined position thereby to be sewn. This type of sewing machine requires a member for guiding the cloth holding frame so that the frame is moved back and forth or left and right, or turned. For example, JP-A-10-273872 discloses a sewing machine including a drive ring to which a cloth holding frame for holding a work cloth such as a cap is mounted. The drive ring is turnable about a rotational axis extending in a back-and-forth direction. The drive ring is guided by a guide shaft provided below a cylinder bed. In this sewing machine, the drive ring is moved back and forth along the guide shaft so that the work cloth is moved back and forth.
In the aforesaid sewing machine, however, the guide shaft guiding the cloth holding frame mounted to the drive ring is disposed outside the cylinder bed. Accordingly, a space is required in which the guide shaft is disposed outside the cylinder bed. The space increases the size of the sewing machine. Furthermore, since the guide shaft is separately disposed outside the cylinder bed, the number of components of the sewing machine is increased. This complicates the structure of the sewing machine and is disadvantageous in the production cost.